Was working on a Frank Lloyd Wright house the other day & it got me thinking about all the classic architecture out there that we get to work on.
Found it kind of humbling to be able to add some of my craftsmanship to a building designed by one of the most famous architects in history. (Even though we were just doing some minor safety upgrades for a school.)
So how bout it? Anybody got a story about a cool/famous/notable building they’ve worked on?
Replies
Arco Tower, 49 floor bldg in Dallas designed by I M Pei. I was partr of the original construction staff for the gc. That sucker was detailed to a gnat's behind. Every joint lined up, from the ceiling tiles to the marble floors. It was a triangular shape. There were no cut tiles in the restrooms ... all the walls were laid out so that only full tiles (2" I think) were needed.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Arco Tower, 49 floor bldg in Dallas
Wow, I remember that one going in. There were all sorts of debates--the "exact fit" meant that the quantities used by the subs were scrutinized something fierce.
This was a big change from when the Pei-designed City Hall went in--the only on-budget item was the Henry Moore statue out front . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Two of us built a seed-cleaning plant for Jimmy Carter's son, Jack, back when Jimmy was President. He used to come by sometimes. Jack and his family had Secret Service protection. Two guys at all times. Made things pretty interesting.
They used to get bored and go out and shoot rats on the railroad tracks at the Grain company.
Greg
Broadway theater The Palace in NYC., ornamental plasterwork, some woodworking, gold leafing.
Radio City Music Hall NYC
Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC. Headed up a crew of 12 to plaster the Harold Blumenthol Spanish Pavilion in Spanish stucco (plastering up to 10th & 11th century handcarved national treasures...sweatin' bullets there baby!)
NJ Statehouse Dome Project for over a year and a half. Woodwork, ornamental plaster restoration, plaster flatwork, mural fresco plaster, some goldleaf.
Kingston Old City Hall,Kingston NY, ran the plaster crews
Frank Furness Bldg, Philadelphia Pa. Now a part of Drexell U. Mural plaster conservationist.
Back to being a carpenter now, but those years were sure interesting.
"NJ Statehouse Dome Project for over a year and a half. Woodwork, ornamental plaster restoration, plaster flatwork, mural fresco plaster, some goldleaf."
Know a guy named Andrew Messinger at Turner Construction? He was on that project and talks fondly of it. I just spent a year working with him on K. Hovnanian's new corporate HQ in Red Bank. Talk about a "cool" building- glass floors, glass stairs, bronze windows, $4 million worth of granite-clad fountains, etc.
Bob
I work for Turner, too...we do get to work on some really cool stuff..
Currently, I'm overseeing the mechanical systems commissioning for the Museum of Modern Art, NYC...cool design, but I still don't get the "Art"
I'm not with Turner anymore- stepped over to "The Dark Side" at Hunter Roberts. Hopefully the new company policy doesn't require you to put me on "Ignore".....lol.
Bob
Not right off hand. What did he do on it? There were hundreds of different trades on that project. I worked for Evergreene Studios out of NYC at that time.
nothing as "name" or maybe as cool... but there is something cool about working on buildings everyday that are built with wood fired bricks and heart pine that was grow'n when Columbus got here... guess it helps that they are mine and everything that changes/restores/improves em my hands touch... it my designs... it's my choice of materials...
life is good
pony
>>....................guess it helps that they are mine and everything that changes/restores/improves em my hands touch... it my designs... it's my choice of materials... <<
That really is something to be thankful for. Congrats!
"Tell me again, Mr. Ledbetter. What's a Mississippi Flush and how's it beat this hand?It's a small revolver and any five cards."
was a gas fitter years ago and had to hook gas to a crematory oven below a moseleum . Interesting work as work area was storage area for deceased awating spring burial . The head fitter chickened out second day and i had to finnish the job alone (about two weeks) . The electrical inspector inspector fainted and was injured when he hit the floor ( turned out he was jewish ) . The first time it was run it closed down on a safty relay cut out and i had to get it going again. Got to assist on about 6 firings after that very gruesome but never boring. A lot of strane dudes seemed to be in that line of work at the time and i was only 20 aat the time.
I've never worked on a building that was particularly notable. The closest I've come was doing some trusses for a house for Michael Jordan up near Chicago.
Funny thing is - I think pro sports are a joke and couldn't have cared less. At the time I didn't even know who he was.
St. Joe's University Chapel in Philly. A cross shaped skylight, mad a sun cross in the middle of the rooms floor @noon on Summer solstice, I happened to be there at that time...unreal.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" Do not add to the world's confusion, by speaking in unclear terms"
A long time ago, and as a beginning construction superintendent, my ironworker crews installed all the roof sheeting on the dome of Cowboy Stadium, Irving Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
It's the dome with the large rectangular hole in the middle, so the players get wet, while the fans stay dry.
That same year we put on the exterior steel walls, all bright stainless steel ribbed with a corduroy finish, on the Contemporary Arts Museum down in Houston.
I haven't been in this line of work long enough to be able to say that I have worked on any thing like ya'll have.
When I owned my own truck pulling flat bed I delivered a load of sports turf to the new football stadium at the University of Louisville, at Louisville, KY. Got to drive my truck right out onto the field.
Out of all of the stuff that I hauled I have only once see the results of my labor. I can now say that I hauled some of the " I " beam steel that went into the building of 12 bridges for the by pass around Christiansburg, Va not more the 15 miles from home.
Dane
I will always be a beginner as I am always learning.
In 1984 I was foreman on a job on Cape
Cod Ma. where we built a reproduction 15th century Dutch windmill from scratch. It was 51 ft. high, octagonal at the bottom and tranitioned to round at the top. This was a once in a lifetime project that has been a feather in my cap ever since.
It was attached to retail store [ The Chistmas Tree Shops] that was built as a huge dutch cottage. It had a 1 acre authentic thatched roof that we subcontracted to crew from Wales. At the time it was the largest thatched roof in the world.
That sounds very cool. I miss the unique projects.
Jay- that crew went on to roof the largest thatch roof residence in the USA for a Norwood, MA builder from Ireland. He wanted to copy his dream house he grew up near in Ireland. The local paper did a right up on the Wales crew, it was in the late 80's, they said they hide a bottle of Irish Whiskey somewhere in every roof for the next crew to find. The builder wind up bankrupting building that house- of course it still looks awesome to this day.
If it was the same crew , I'm pretty sure that the bottle that they left was empty!
Sounds about right- now I feel silly for even believing that in the press! The builder probably bankrupted buying them drinks now that I think of it - thatch must be really cheap!
Not only is it cheap, but when we ran out of the ridge cap type thatch [I think it is more of a reed] we went to a local swamp and cut our own!
My first employment out of apprentice school was for Historical Sites in Dawson City. Worked on the stern wheeler river boat that is beached there and started working on the post office another historical building. Found some real interesting old stuff in the basement of the post office.
last summer I was part of a crew who was re-doing the display "home of the future" for a well-known software company on their campus out here on the left coast in Washington State. it was pretty interesting even if I had only a minor part in the whole thing. unfortunately there is not much to say about the project due to confidentiality agreements, but it was a fun one.
My first job out of high school was at Joe Louis arena and the renassisance bldg in Detroit
I too have worked on a house with Wrights influance--Little is know about the house here in Minneapolis but he was hired to oversee and make "improvements" by a then whealthy banker. The house was written up some years ago in an arcathecuale magazine.
The HO had the article framed and displayed in the livinig room--really quite interesting and I had some insight for them about some of his Chicago houses--being my native city.
The only thing better than that is finding a note from a long ago carpenter and being able to connect with him or her thru their work.
A quirk I picked up and still practice today--but I don't write in concrete---Mike
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
What part of Chicago are you from originally, Mike? (I'm in the western suburbs, & we do a lot of work in the Oak Park area- Wright's hometown.)
Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge--All on the South side--Go Sox, Was involved with many groups as a kid and remember quite well seeing and touring some of the home of Wright, Never knew then I would be a carpenter but I was fascinated by the construction none the less,Got to Mn. in the mid 80's with my folks but still have many relatives in Chicago and get back at least once a year,Funny I never knew I had an accent till I got to Mn. and every one knew I was from Chicago even before I told them--guess I had an accent--Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Small world... I grew up in Beverly, & my wife's from Oak Lawn... her folks still live around 87th & Central.Yeah, how about those Sox!! (Makes us south siders feel good when the cubs are struggling & the sox are in first. Gotta get an early season gloat in, since it may not last.)
"The only thing better than that is finding a note from a long ago carpenter and being able to connect with him or her thru their work.
A quirk I picked up and still practice today--but I don't write in concrete---Mike"
Yes, it is fun to find notes or measurements scribbled on 100 y.o. lumber, in a wall or under stairs, or on a drawer bottom. Handwriting styles sure have changed in 100 years. I've taken to scribbling my name and the date before closing up cavities on some jobs - sending my own tip of the hat to 22nd century carpenters, if there is such a trade by then.
You could start a thread on notes from long ago carpenters. I wonder how many of us do the same?
I was involved in was the construction of a wood-lattice truss double-span covered bridge over the Gatineau river in Wakefield, Québec. I helped put the roof and the deck on this one, fully cognizant of the fact that our work would probably still be standing in 200 years. What a privilege.
Go to http://www.pbase.com/merriwolf/image/26521984
to see a great picture of our bridge, and to
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/gatineau/bridges.html
for the story of how it came to be.
Edited 4/23/2005 8:49 pm ET by Pierre1
Edited 4/23/2005 8:53 pm ET by Pierre1
Fantastic bridge--great story--nice workI have found many things--even a pint of whiskey(empty) from some long ago carpenter stuck in a wall--those must have been the days, haveing lunch and a pint.I have a "Jim" written on the service door header I found when I removed and replaced the door in 2002. Ball, coupons, even a New years day card all in my collection.These are all from non-occupied houses otherwise I give what I find to the HO, Fun to see there eyes open to the history of their house, Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
You know how framing members are called different names, depending on which region you're in... e.g. a rim joist is a box joist
In your area, is a door header a jim beam?
Thanks. I was a volunteer grunt on that bridge and loved every minute.
Edited 4/24/2005 1:29 am ET by Pierre1
ROTFLMAOthat's funny--I don't care who ya are--Larry the cable guyNice one----Even funnier cause of the whiskey pint in the other post.....that was one case where it was an occupied house but being the owner was a minister I kept that one under wraps. " I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Edited 4/24/2005 1:52 am ET by mitremike
Hey, thanks.
Ok, catch your breath and read on...
"I kept that one under wraps"
So did he.
Ok that's two in a row--I feel like I should be paying a cover charge and a two drink min.If he got that bottle down in that stud bay with out the DW noticing then he's a closet carp. and didn't need to hire me.Good yucks--still smiling---Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
My painters today were removing the wallpaper in a room and they found a note written in pencil from the guy who hung it in 1980." M___ and E_____ hung the paper. 1980
peat and re-peat painted the trim, can't you tell? "That last line was still dripping with sarcasm.The funniest part is that the painters doing this are on the payroll of the M___ mentioned so they are reading what their boss had written 25 years ago. By this time tomorrow night, I should know who peat and re-peat were.;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Oh how buried bones rise to the surface---How does it go--"All the things you tried to hide will be reveled on the other side"
Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
In every house I trim I leave a note in the walls on a peice of scrap wood. It has my name, the date and a comment on current affairs. I like to think that in years to come someone will find this note and exclaim "Hey, President Goulet worked on this house".
Once ,while restoring a 1878 hospital building, we found a copy of the Worcester Telegram And Gazzette from 1877 in the wall. It looked as though it had been read and simply discarded there. I put it in a plastic bag along with a current copy [1987] of the same newspaper and put it back into the wall when we refinished it.
Cool
Classy---That just about summs it up---Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
this would be a fun thread.
Painted on a brick column in my basement (ca 1852) "this house painted June 5th, 1865 by W.M. Norcross"
Previous HO redid the bsmt in the 70's but framed (w/ glass) the painted "note". My wife and kids really love to show off that column. My daughter leaves notes in any cavity in any house I work on.
Also, did an exhaust fan install for a friend, and found a beer can (pull tab) from his father from 1955 sealed in the finished attic floor. He got a kick out of it.
and found a beer can (pull tab) from his father from 1955Full?When my dad and I sheetrocked out basement in Chicago in the 70's we pulled all the panaling down and nailed over and old vent was a newspaper that headlined---Shephards flight scrubbed---Alan shepard launch into space whent off after that but is was funny to find that paper--Still have it---the ads and classifieds are a stitch to read, The oldest thing I ever found was a New Years card from 1899 written is such beutiflu handwritng--And after that was a 1901 Quarter that got kicked in a crack under the base shoe. I guess that is one of the perks of working on old houses. Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Pulled some door casing off in an old bungalow a couple years ago & found a 10 ride ticket for the Illinois Central railroad from 1919. It had one punch taken out of it; otherwise mint condition. (Am I highjacking my own thread?)
ROAR---sorry about that greg---Highjack away.I mean I did work on something cool so I got in legal like it just that I got a little greedy.Encloce you will find a "Free Highjack " coupon for my next thread
good at all participating locations----As a native Broad Shoulder type you'll accept my apoligize won't you?Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Ah, I was just havin fun. You gotta be okay if you're a Sox fan. (Now if you were pulling for the north-siders, we'd be having words). There've been some good stories here, including the ones that are a little off topic... Keep 'em coming.
North-siders---They have a BB team????? Who???the only bummer is that I am in a competing league and am torn between the Twins and the Right Sox---no I didn't mean the red sox I meant the R(W)ight Sox.Now who is having fun?Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I once built a giant entertainment center and sideboard for the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Not that that was impressive, just that I had be escorted daily by guards down to the basement where they had a giant bank vault that held Shakespeare's original folios- top flite electronic security and surveillance as well.
My dad did some of the wiring in the gold vaults at Ft Know. IIRC while the gold was in there.
Nah....it was empty. Shame though.......it was a tad hot in that attic.
Coolest things found in my house so far have been unused square nails in some of the cavities (I save those suckers). Other than the painters note, have not uncovered much else except a deep respect for the workmanship and quality of materials.
The house is a Greek Revival. 16" wide plaster crowns, tapered 8" wide door and window trim (3-4 pieces for each casing) all the way to the floor, with pediments and "ears" on tops. 3 piece base mouldings that end up being 1 1/2" thick and 12" high. All trim still tight, no gaps, doors still swing & fit perfectly.....amazing. And all w/ hand tools.
Had to remove a piece of damaged molding along top of base trim in bath. The darn thing was nailed on w/ the same 2 1/2" square nails that the pine floor is held down with.
The house is a Greek Revival. 16" wide plaster crowns, tapered 8" wide door and window trim (3-4 pieces for each casing) all the way to the floor, with pediments and "ears" on tops. 3 piece base mouldings that end up being 1 1/2" thick and 12" high. All trim still tight, no gaps, doors still swing & fit perfectly.....amazing. And all w/ hand tools.
What, no camera!
Sounds like some cool trim/moldings
Doug
Unfortunately no "digital" yet. Lots of 35mm cameras, slow to switch I guess. Will post some pics in fiture. Bought house last July, just moved in two weeks ago. DW has got me hanging pictures, mirrors etc. Busy as heck, but it looks good though.
The darn thing was nailed on w/ the same 2 1/2" square nails that the pine floor is held down with.Ya gotta believe that old time carpenter was laughing to himself as he nailed it on thinking---"I pity the fool that has to take this apart"I know I have-----Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
I.m glad they did it thay way though, or there would be no trim for me to remove today. Some joker W/ a screwdriver would have removed it by now.
Back in the days when I was in the mason business ,I worked on the new studio that Johnny Hart ( cartoonist, B.C. ,Wizard of Id etc.) was having built. We did all the brickwork,stonework , fireplaces, patios. I wish I had been a woodworker on that job. Every room,every studio in that place was done with a different species of wood. Some native and some exotic. I remember that he had a load of 4 x 12 x 28' douglas fir beams trucked in from Calif. to span the theater room.
I worked on the Warner bros. orgy house on the beach in Malibu.This project was intended as a place for rock stars to stay and sign contracts.No expense was spared.
did ya get to stay fer the party??
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Greetings and Salutations---" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Greetings...
ya feeling any better...
I worked on a Rube Goldberg in Tampa, FL...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I guess I didn't rate.A fascinating place though, the finish carpenters set up a complete shop in the courtyard, including cabinet saw and shaper. They made outstanding stuff including medicine cabinets of oak(which were later painted white).I was setting tile, and the plumber installing fixtures after me put in $200 dollar shower heads from Germany.These things were the diameter of a coffee pot.Its fun to work on places where money is no object,to push the limits, but it can get to be so over the top it is absured.At this point, I get a queasy feeling in my stomach just for a second.
One of the places I worked on was the Otto Herman Kahn estate on the north shore of Long Island in New York ( think of " the great gatsby", reffered to as the "gold coast" in it's heyday) When I got there, my boss had just purchased it after it had been abandoned for years and vandals had had their way with it. It was still sound, the basic construction was nearly indestructible. Mr Kahn, the original owner who had the house built for himself was a german, jewish, banker who came to long island in the early 1900's and was not warmly recieved by the local high society of the day. Why, they wouldn't even let him join the country club! So what's a fella to do??? Build the largest home in the U.S., on the highest point on long island, with 18 hole golf course and club for your friends! ( would have loved to have met him, my kinda guy ) It took over two years of horse drawn wagons bringing fill to the site to make it the highest elevation and he got the town to agree to it by incorperating new water tanks for the surrounding area into his sub basement. They're still in use to this day! His previous home had a major fire and he lost alot of artwork, so the story goes he vowed it wouldn't happen again. The walls, floors, and roofs are all poured concrete, many over two feet thick in places. The style was french country castle right down to the swales in the plane of the roof to make it old. The home used its mass and deep basements to tap into the cool constant temp. of the earth and with a system of huge ducts they had "natural air conditioning" using passive convection that was, and is incredibly effective. He had a rail spur built to the property so that his friends from new york city could visit easily. Great materials and workmanship were still in evidence when I began working on it. It's new incarnation was to be several luxury condominiums. Almost every day was a new discovery, and it was a great building to work on. Uht - oh got to go, deadwood is on , may add to this later BUIC
No famous clients or buildings here.
Perhaps the most interesting project I've done was to design and build a mostly fir T&G horse barn and a small bridge over a deep ravine for some wealthy folks. It was a beautiful site on an island and all materials were over-the-top for a horse barn (by my standards!).
In about 1978 I got to work on a reno next to Iowa State U. Owner was an archy prof... final product was featured in one of the first few Fine Homebuilding Mags. The jerk claimed he did all the work himself with a couple of college students. Guess he forgot about the two or three construction companies that worked on it. It was hardly famous, though. A helper and I tore out a bunch of interior walls and floors and reframed the floors. I used to have an obviously hand hewn oak peg that had held together mortise and tenon joints that were used to join the adze shaped oak log sills.
I'm thankful for the loyal opposition! It's hard to learn much from those who simply agree with you.
I try to be helpful without being encouraging.
didnt help build it, but did maintain power plant for a while. located near the Arctic Circle, on icecap of Greenland. plane was refueling tanks located 125' underneath. When the site was established in '68 the tanks were on the surface.
Edited 4/24/2005 10:44 pm ET by VAGentinMI
Tank's empty dude.
Yep and the last drop out turned off the lights.
DaneI will always be a beginner as I am always learning.
straightened it up, now maybe u wont have to stand on ur head.
Alert? You must have seen some pretty wild things up there when the mercury drops to -50F. Metal shattering and all... I don't imagine any of the interceptors were kept outside for any length of time.
my job was inside, did have to work on the dragline in -35 once. it got to -100 w/o the wind once for a week or so. That was a bit chilly. But lived in GA for 16 yrs. was colder there than Greenland.
I found Waldo--he's flying that c-130it was like that old game in the dark with a flash lite trhin to find something." I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
=0)
A person with no sense of humor about themselves, has no sense at all.
hey greg i helped build the carrier dome in syracuse ny inflatable roof very cool
we were young and used to slide down the top- tarp- roof? when they would inflate it till someone got killed (slid onto a lightning rod)
another syracuse job-galleria mall-built on an old talking erie canal old swamp
there is hydralic i know spelled real wrong but there is a control room where they can raise and lower,cock it however it has to be to make it level
thought that was pretty cool,they padlocked tthe door to the control room after awhile lol